Richmond National Cemetery
Also known as: VDHR File No. 43-126
Why it's listed
Richmond National Cemetery occupies 9.74 acres along Williamsburg Road in Henrico County, Virginia. Established on September 1, 1866, it was created so that Union dead from the area around the Confederate capital could receive honored burial. Remains were gathered from roughly seventy locations within 25 miles, including Oakwood and Hollywood Cemeteries, the Belle Isle prison burial ground, and the Cold Harbor and Seven Pines battlefields. Of 9,199 interments recorded in 1995, 5,706 are unknown Civil War soldiers. The grounds are enclosed by a granite and sandstone wall from about 1890. The brick and stone lodge, built in 1870 in the Second Empire style, follows a design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs. Other features include a utility building, a gasoline storage building, a flagpole circle with four cast-iron artillery-tube monuments, and the base of a former iron rostrum. The cemetery is listed for its Civil War association and for the lodge's design.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A for its association with the Civil War, as a burial place for Union dead reinterred from about seventy locations near Richmond. Under Criterion C, the lodge represents a prototypical design by Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs. The Keeper later amended the period of significance to begin in 1867, when the land was purchased.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95001183, listed October 26, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1701 Williamsburg Rd., Richmond (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Henrico County |
| Listed | October 26, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95001183 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1866-1936 (amended to begin in 1867) |
| Architect / builder | Meigs, Montgomery C. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Military |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Officially closed to new interments in August 1963, but burials in occupied graves and of cremated remains continue. |
| Acreage | 9.7 |
| Coordinates | 37.51450, -77.39272 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95001183.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7330920
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.